The Never-ending Journey

I have had migraines for 20 years now. They started when I was around 5 or 6 and haven’t left me alone since. I was always the sick child- staying home from school, after school activities, etc.

For the first few years, I would tell my parents I didn’t feel good or that I had a “head ick”, they would give me some children’s Motrin, and I would take a nap. Mostly, that was enough, but sometimes it wasn’t. I would wake up from my nap or in the middle of the night in tears because something was wrong with my head and I couldn’t explain it (being only 5/6/7 years old). My parents eventually took me to the doctor, who said I was just getting headaches and to keep doing what they were doing: Motrin & a nap. Needless to say, every week or so, I would wake up crying & I would get Motrin.

That went on for about 5 or 6 years before a doctor finally said “there’s something more here” & sent me for a CT. It was negative, so more tests were done.

It wasn’t until I was 14 or 15 that I finally had a doctor put me on Topamax and Maxalt (rizatriptain) for a couple of years. I maxed out on both, so he sent me to a neurologist at 17. That neurologist gave me many other preventatives & some other abortives. When one failed, I’d get another. I tried more than I can remember. I finally started on Botox after failing just about everything else & it worked wonders! Most of the time. I am 90% migraine free for the first 2 months, but I can’t get more until 3 months, so they start coming back.

At one point, I was taking botox, gabapentin (Neurontin), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and had as needed Lortab 5 and Fioricet. I still have migraines during the 3rd month & they can last for days no matter what I take.

I’m still on this never-ending journey looking for the cure. I know itll probably never happen, but I pray for it every day!

*Just as additional info, I get nauseous, dizzy, blurred vision, aphasia (difficulty speaking), and major brain fog before, during, & after attacks, making it very difficult to work.

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